


house of stone

by jeremybearimy5972



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Welsh Remus Lupin, Young Remus Lupin, basically hope and lyall get remus a cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 09:49:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28469304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeremybearimy5972/pseuds/jeremybearimy5972
Summary: Three years after Greyback's attack, Hope and Lyall see how much the isolation and secrecy of his condition are affecting Remus - they decide to do something about his loneliness, in the form of a cat.
Relationships: Hope Lupin & Lyall Lupin & Remus Lupin, Hope Lupin & Remus Lupin, Hope Lupin/Lyall Lupin, Lyall Lupin & Remus Lupin
Comments: 11
Kudos: 21





	house of stone

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Mentions of isolation, loneliness, condition-related illnesses (non-explicit but mentions of symptoms such as nausea, headaches, dizziness, and body aches) - let me know if I've missed anything!  
> Translations are in the end notes - hope you enjoy!

_my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand_

_~_

The cool, misty February air lay heavily on the Lupin household one morning, as its inhabitants chose to remain within the warm and cozy home rather than brace the gloomy weather - though the weather wasn’t the sole reason for an emerging gloom within the house. 

It had been three years since Remus had been bitten. Despite Lyall’s prejudiced fears, the bite itself hadn’t changed Remus as a person. However, between the isolation, the pain, and the secrecy, Remus was no longer the carefree young boy he had once been. 

Remus hadn’t been the loudest or most rambunctious child before the attack, but as the months and eventually years wore on, he became increasingly quiet and withdrawn. He still enjoyed playing with his toys and reading and having fun, but these moments demonstrated all too much the loneliness that Remus experienced. 

Lyall was often gone, working at his job at the Ministry to provide for the family and, if he were honest with himself, to avoid the guilt and pain he felt when he saw Remus. Lyall loved his son. He was the best thing in Lyall’s life aside from Hope. But the regret and shame always seemed to creep back into his mind when he was reminded of Remus’s condition; both for the physical pain the young boy had to endure every month and the emotional pain from his complete and utter isolation from others. 

Hope stayed at home with Remus and she worked furiously to give Remus as normal a life as was possible. Hope did her best to spend time with him and bring some light into his life; she would play board games with him, teach him different subjects, show him how to cook and bake, and read with him. She and Remus were incredibly close, spending much of their time together, but Hope still knew that her son was lonely, though he would always deny it. 

This February morning, each of the three members of the Lupin family was off doing separate things. Lyall, though having taken the rare day off work, was in the study writing reports. Hope was busy chopping up some vegetables to make a soup for dinner. Remus was in his room, working through some math workbooks Hope had gotten him for his schooling. 

As Hope finished chopping up the vegetables, she threw them into a pot of broth to simmer on the stove. To prevent a flaming stovetop, she turned the heat down so that she could leave it unattended while she went to check on Remus. 

If told to sit down and do their math homework unattended, most children would whine or maybe wait until their parents had left and go do anything else besides the homework. But as Hope entered Remus’s room, he was sat at his desk by the window, diligently working on his problems. His parents had known from a young age that Remus was especially smart and eager to learn; he absolutely loved learning and read through books, academic and fictional, quicker than most his age. 

“Hey, _bach_ ,” Hope greeted. “How’re you getting on?” 

“Good,” Remus replied. “I finished the chapter, so I started the next one.”

“That’s great!” Hope praised. “You don’t have to keep working on this if you don’t want to though. We could play a game if you want? I can even drag Dad out of the study to join us.” 

“Um,” Remus said quietly. He always worried that he was a burden for his parents and though Lyall and Hope repeatedly assured him he wasn’t, he would often try to stay on his own as to not, as he believed, bother them. “I’m fine. I think I’ll just finish this.” 

“Are you sure?” Remus nodded. “Maybe take a break from your work then? You could start _The Return of the King_ , you were excited about that?”

“Yeah, sure,” Remus got up and grabbed the third installment of the _Lord of the Rings_ series to read on his bed. Hope pulled the blanket from the end of his bed and wrapped it around his shoulders, placing a kiss on the top of his head. 

“Good boy,” Hope smiled softly. “I love you.” 

“I love you too, Mum,” Remus smiled back. 

“Dinner should be done in an hour or so,” Hope said as she left Remus’s room, but he was already engrossed in his book. 

Hope returned to the kitchen to check on the soup and pondered quietly for a few moments about her son. He was so determined to do everything right and not be a burden even at the expense of his own happiness or enjoyment. He kept himself locked up so tight for fear that he would hurt someone. It wasn’t often that he allowed himself to open up and enjoy himself, those moments becoming increasingly rare over the past few years. He had his parents, whom he loved dearly and was eternally grateful for, but what he really needed was a friend. Someone he didn’t feel the need to hide himself from, someone he felt comfortable with. 

Hope walked over to the study to speak with her husband as an idea came across her mind. 

“Lyall?” Hope poked her head in the door. “Are you busy?”

Lyall was shuffling through some papers on the desk and looked rather tired, but he smiled warmly at his wife. 

“No, not busy,” Lyall replied. 

“I was thinking about something and wanted your opinion,” Hope began. 

“What about?” Lyall asked. 

“About Remus,” Hope said. “I was wondering if we should get a pet for him?”

“Hope, I don’t…” Lyall said slowly. “I don’t like dogs. They’re messy and loud and too much work.”

“I wasn’t talking about a dog,” Hope interrupted. “I meant a cat.” 

“A cat?” Lyall repeated. “Cats are even worse. They’re mean and they hiss and scratch up the furniture.” 

“Says the man who has never even met a cat,” Hope replied sarcastically. “I had one growing up, why shouldn’t Remus?” 

“I don’t know,” Lyall said. “Where’s this coming from anyway? Why would he need one?” 

“He’s lonely, Lyall. You know he is,” Lyall looked down guiltily. “He doesn’t have any friends and he has us, yes, but he needs someone to just be there for him.” 

“And you think a cat is the answer?” Lyall asked. 

“He needs someone that isn’t his nearly forty-year-old parents,” Hope replied. “He needs a friend.” 

Lyall considered this for a few moments. He wasn’t the biggest fan of pets, especially not cats, but his wife had a point. Their son didn’t have any friends and rarely saw or spoke to anyone besides his parents. He wanted to see his son happy and maybe this could help. 

“Fine,” Lyall sighed. “Have you asked him if he even wants one?” 

“Not yet,” Hope said. “We can ask him at dinner.”

When the three Lupins sat down for dinner, they ate quietly for the majority of the meal. After Remus had finished his soup, Hope decided to pop the question. 

“Do you like cats, Remus?” Hope asked. 

“Yeah,” Remus nodded absentmindedly. He had tired himself out after doing his homework and reading for the best part of the day and was ready to go to bed. “They’re cute.” 

“Would you like it if we got one?” Hope asked. Remus perked up immediately. 

“As a pet?” Remus asked. Hope nodded. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Hope smiled. “Dad and I were talking and thought we might like to get one. Does that sound good?” 

Rather than simply asking if her son wanted a cat, Hope posed the question in a way that would allow Remus to give a genuine response and not one overshadowed by Remus’s fear of asking for things or being burdensome. 

“Yeah,” Remus ducked his head slightly to hide his smile and excitement. “Yeah, that sounds good.” 

“Great!” Hope smiled back at her son. “We can go to the shelter in town next week, right Lyall?” 

“Sure,” Lyall replied. “Do you want to come with us to pick it out?”

“Um,” Remus shifted nervously in his seat. He didn’t often leave the house as people would eventually begin to question the secrecy and the scars, which in turn made him nervous about leaving home at all. On the other hand, he was excited at the prospect of picking out a cat. “Is that okay?” 

“Of course it’s okay,” Lyall said. Remus’s facade finally dropped and he allowed himself to smile brightly. He slowly but surely began asking questions about what kind of cat they would get, what food it would eat, what toys it would like, revealing his pure childish glee. Lyall and Hope patiently answered all of his questions, sharing a look between themselves at one point, overjoyed at their son’s excitement. 

The following week, the Lupin family drove over to the local shelter to look at the available cats. The previous day, Hope had taken Remus to the pet shop to get food, toys, litter, and other materials for their new family member. Remus had been uncharacteristically excited to go, his nerves forgotten when his mind was preoccupied with preparing for the cat. Lyall still wasn’t entirely pleased with the addition of a cat to the family but had nonetheless agreed to join his wife and son to bring one home. 

“Hello there!” A woman, whose name tag read Mary, greeted from the desk as the family walked into the shelter. 

“Hello,” Hope replied. “We’re looking to adopt a cat?” 

“Of course! If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the cat room,” Mary led them through the shelter and into the cat room, where numerous cats were roaming freely around the room, some playing with toys, others napping on beds and towers. 

“We have many different cats here, kittens, seniors, playful ones, more independent ones,” Mary said. “I’m sure we can find the right fit for your family.” 

With a nod of approval from his parents, Remus wandered off to look at the different cats. 

“He’s adorable. How old is he?” Mary asked. 

“He’s eight,” Hope said. 

“That’s a good age to get a pet, it teaches them some responsibility,” Mary smiled. “Is there any particular kind of cat you were looking for?” 

Hope and Mary began discussing the available cats while Lyall stood awkwardly to the side and watched Remus from afar. There were a few kittens in the room, which Lyall would have assumed a kid would gravitate towards, but Remus was more interested in the older cats. One of them seemed to catch his eye, a calico cat who was lounging on one of the beds. 

Remus sat down next to the cat and carefully reached out his hand for the cat to sniff. The cat did so and gave his outstretched hand a small nuzzle with its head. Remus scratched its head lightly, which the cat enjoyed as it leaned further into Remus’s touch. The cat stood from the bed, stretched, and curled up into Remus’s lap, putting a smile on his face. 

“Hope,” Lyall tapped his wife’s shoulder and pointed in their son’s direction. 

“Oh,” Hope said fondly. He looked incredibly cute with a cat curled up and purring in his lap. Hope and Lyall, followed by Mary, made their way over to Remus. 

“Found one you like?” Hope asked. 

“Yeah,” Remus smiled as he scratched behind the cat’s ears. “She’s really nice. And soft.” 

“What’s her name?” Hope asked Mary. 

“Ivy,” Mary replied. “Her owner passed away about two years ago and the daughter couldn’t take care of her so she was surrendered to us.”

“Oh, poor thing,” Hope said. “How old is she?”

“She’s eight,” Mary said. 

“Same as me!” Remus interrupted. 

“Yeah, she is!” Mary laughed. “She was quite nervous when she first came to us, probably because she didn’t understand what was happening. And she hasn’t been adopted because people tend to prefer younger cats, kittens especially.”

“Clearly your son’s got some kind of magic to him, she doesn’t often cuddle with people,” Mary joked. Lyall choked, startled by the mention of magic but saved himself by covering it with a cough. Hope smirked slightly - her husband really was awful at the whole wizarding secrecy thing. 

“Yeah, something like that,” Lyall laughed nervously. 

“She’s really a sweetheart, though,” Mary continued. “She can sometimes be selective about who she likes, but it seems she’s already decided she likes your son.” 

Remus wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation going on between his parents and Mary, focusing instead on petting Ivy, who was thoroughly enjoying the attention, purring audibly. Hope crouched down next to Remus and gave a soft smile at the sight of her son’s contentment. 

“Should we bring her home?” Hope asked. 

“Is that okay?” Remus asked, still worried that for whatever reason his parents would revoke their decision and leave without her. 

“Of course, _bach_ ,” Hope replied. Remus gave a relieved smile and looked down at Ivy with loving eyes. 

“I assume we’ll be needing the adoption papers then?” Mary offered. Lyall and Hope both nodded. “Excellent! If you’ll follow me back to the office, I’ll get you all sorted out. Your son is welcome to stay in here with Ivy while we do all the paperwork if you’d like?” 

As his parents filled out all the paperwork with Mary, Remus stayed in the cat room with Ivy. She became more alert when Remus pulled out a cat toy and was happily swatting at a feather tied to a stick. After tiring of the feather, she leaped into Remus’s lap once again and reached up towards his shoulders, placing her paws on his chest. 

“Oh, do you want me to pick you up?” Remus asked. Ivy replied with a meow. He picked her up carefully and she placed her paws on one of his shoulders and rested her head there. He could feel her purring, which had an oddly calming effect on him. He stroked her fur absentmindedly for a few minutes until Lyall returned from the office. 

“It’s all done. Ready to go home?” Lyall asked. Remus nodded enthusiastically. 

When they returned home, Remus showed Ivy around the house, adorably explaining everything as if she could understand him. To her credit, Ivy seemed to be listening intently to the young boy. They arrived at Remus’s bedroom last, where he showed Ivy her bed, though Ivy clearly had other ideas. She leaped up onto Remus’s bed and laid down in the middle, looking at Remus as if to say _I’ll be sleeping here, thank you very much_. The pair stayed in the bedroom for the remainder of the afternoon, playing with some of Ivy’s toys or laying next to each other while Remus read aloud. 

Hope and Lyall tried to watch and listen in discretely, but Remus was so concentrated on Ivy that he didn’t even notice his parents spying on him. Hope felt rather bittersweet. Remus was happier than she had seen him in months thanks to Ivy, but it also highlighted how isolated he had been for such a long time. He had desperately needed companionship, but for three years, he had been virtually alone. 

Shaking her head, Hope focused on the positives of her son’s renewed playfulness and happiness rather than mull over their past failings. Already, Ivy and Remus looked as if they had known each other all their lives, entirely comfortable with one another’s company. Though Ivy couldn’t talk back to him, her meowed responses seemed enough for Remus to go on. He talked softly, but excitedly as he read to her from _The Hobbit_ (wanting to read the series to her from the beginning) and even interrupted himself to explain things to her. Ivy gazed up at him as he talked and stared at him with wide, loving eyes, if not understanding him then simply attentively listening to her boy’s voice. 

Over the following weeks, Remus and Ivy grew inextricably close. Ivy trailed after Remus wherever he went and refused to let the young boy out of her sight. She would sit on his lap while he was reading or doing work and occasionally, when he had been concentrating for too long, stealing said distractions so that she could gain his full attention. 

When the full moon drew ever closer, Ivy noticed her boy’s condition worsening. Remus’s typical symptoms in the days preceding the full ranged from headaches to nausea to dizziness to aches and pains throughout his body. He tended to draw into himself on these days, feeling exhausted physically and emotionally; he didn’t feel up to talking or playing, preferring to remain in his room, alone with his books. 

Lyall and Hope had worried that their son’s condition might frighten or confuse Ivy, but instead her mothering nature took charge. She watched him like a hawk to ensure that he didn’t fall, pass out, or otherwise hurt himself. As they slept, she curled up onto his chest and purred loudly to comfort him. She even began kneading his stomach when she saw him holding it in pain. 

On the evening of the full moon, she panicked when Remus went down into the basement. She yowled loudly and scratched at the door, knowing that Remus was on the other side and frustrated at not being able to reach him. Lyall complained of the noise she was making and tried to take her into Remus’s room, an effort which earned him a sizable scratch on the arm. She eventually tired herself out but slept right outside the basement door for the remainder of the night. 

When morning finally came, Ivy sprinted down the steps the second Lyall opened the door. Remus was usually unconscious for a few minutes when he transformed back, allowing Lyall the time to heal any wounds he had sustained during the night. Ivy didn’t interfere with his healing but watched the scene with sharp eyes. Thankfully, the night had not been as violent as others have been. Lyall carried Remus back to his room with Ivy hot on his heels. He placed his son on the bed and sat on the edge as he waited for him to wake up. 

“Hey, there,” Lyall said when Remus opened his eyes. “How do you feel?” 

“Fine,” Remus said automatically. Lyall narrowed his eyes at him, as Remus often downplayed his injuries. “Bit achy.” 

“Do you want anything for the pain?” Lyall asked. 

“No, it doesn’t hurt that much,” Remus replied. Ivy took the lull in the conversation as her opportunity to hop onto the bed and leap into Remus’s lap. 

“Hey, Ivy,” Remus smiled, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “How are you, girl?” 

“Happier now, I’d assume,” Lyall answered for her. Remus furrowed his brow in confusion and Lyall pointed to the bandage on his own arm. “Gave me one hell of a cut when I tried to pick her up last night.” 

“You need to be gentle,” Remus laughed lightly, making a show of picking Ivy up carefully. “Right Ivy?” She headbutted him in agreement. 

“Right, I’ll be gentle when she doesn’t look like she wants to kill me,” Lyall said sarcastically. Ivy seemed to narrow her eyes at him as a warning for what she might do the next time he tried to take her away from her boy. “You hungry?” 

“Not really,” Remus said. 

“You should eat something,” Lyall said. “How about some toast?” 

“Sure,” Remus nodded. 

Lyall brought back some toast a few minutes later and instructed Remus to get some sleep once he had eaten it. Ivy made sure Remus ate all of the toast and pawed at him when he picked up a book instead of going to sleep. 

“I’ll go to sleep in a minute, Ivy,” Remus yawned. “Just want to finish this chapter.”

He didn’t manage to finish the chapter, falling asleep with the book still in hand after a few minutes. He slept for the rest of the morning, with his parents checking in every so often to make sure he was alright. When Remus did eventually wake up in the afternoon, he was overwhelmed with nausea and stumbled into the bathroom quickly before throwing up. Instead of following him, Ivy rushed to alert Lyall and Hope to their son’s needs. Not a minute later, Hope ran into the bathroom and sat down next to Remus. 

“You’re okay,” Hope said softly as she rubbed her son’s back. “I’m sorry, _bach._ ” 

“I’m fine,” Remus replied quietly. 

“Do you still feel ill?” Remus shook his head. “Let’s get you back into bed then.” 

Hope carefully tucked her son back into bed and pulled his favorite blanket up to his chin. 

“I’ll bring some tea up later if you want?” Hope asked. Remus nodded tiredly. “ _Dwi'n caru ti, fy machgen_.”

“ _Caru ti hefyd_ ,” Remus mumbled as he drifted back into sleep. 

Hope stroked some stray hairs from Remus’s forehead and placed a kiss there. 

“You’re so brave, Remus,” Hope whispered. “Don’t ever forget that.” 

A small, pawed nudge pulled Hope’s attention towards Ivy. She peered up at Hope with concern and meowed softly, questioning if Remus was going to be alright. Hope picked her up and placed her on the bed next to her son. She approached Remus carefully, as not to disturb him, and headbutted him lightly before settling down on his chest. 

“He’s going to be okay,” Hope said. “He’ll be alright. But we need to look after him.” 

Whether she was speaking to Ivy or herself at that moment, she wasn't sure. 

“Look after him, will you?” Hope asked, then laughed to herself. “God, Hope. You’re talking to a cat. Though, to be fair, stranger things have happened.” 

Hope had wondered over the past weeks whether Ivy was some sort of magical cat or simply had stunning intuition. Maybe she’d known children from her previous owner, or perhaps had kittens of her own. Whatever the explanation, Hope knew Ivy understood what she was asking of her. 

Ivy curled protectively on Remus’s chest and began to purr. Still asleep, Remus reached out for Ivy and laid an arm over her, which she further nuzzled into. Hope smiled softly and placed a final kiss on Remus’s forehead before scratching Ivy’s head gently. 

“Thank you,” Hope said. 

_~_

_my house of stone, your ivy grows_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> The title and quotes at the start and end are from Taylor Swift's "Ivy" - while the song is about an affair, I really liked those two lyrics and felt they fit in nicely with this fic. Ivy comes into Remus's life when he needs someone and is most alone (house of stone) and she comes right in, brings him out of his shell, and takes care of him (your ivy grows; my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand).  
> This was honestly just a silly little fic I wanted to put out as I've had the idea stuck in my head for a while. I love writing about Remus as a child and exploring him and his parents, this time with the addition of a cat (quick psa: if you're ever looking to adopt, consider adopting an older pet as they are often overlooked in shelters)!  
> Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this fic! I'd really appreciate it if you left a kudos or a comment if you liked it! Thank you and I hope you all have a safe and happy new year!  
> tumblr: reignofstrain
> 
> Translations:  
> Bach - Little one  
> Dwi'n caru ti, fy machgen - I love you, my boy  
> Caru ti hefyd - Love you too


End file.
